Sectopod (XCOM 2)
The Sectopod is an ADVENT enemy encountered in XCOM 2. Sectopods first appear in August (mid-October on Legend). They always appear as pod leaders followed by ADVENT Troopers, Stun Lancers or Shieldbearers. Description The Sectopod is a large bipedal robotic combat unit used by ADVENT. It is a towering weapons platform capable of destroying terrain as it walks, with a size of 9 tiles. The Sectopod provides overwhelming firepower where it is needed most. According to dialogue, the aliens used these units to wipe out humanity's conventional militaries during the invasion. Abilities * Overwatch * High Stance: The Sectopod can extend its legs to improve its range and weapon reach, also enabling it to use the Wrath Cannon against elevated targets. Grants height bonus against ground targets. (Costs no AP) ** Low Stance swaps in when it is in a High Stance state. * Lightning Field: The Sectopod can emit a blast of lightning in a circular area around its feet whenever it detects an enemy in melee range. (7-9 DMG) (2-turn cooldown) * Wrath Cannon: The Wrath Cannon is an extremely high-energy attack that deals damage in a long line. The firing of the cannon requires the Sectopod to fully charge a series of emitters, which might give quick victims a chance to run and hide. (3 tiles wide beam). Takes one turn to prepare. (9-12 DMG) (3 turn Cool Down) (Costs 1 Action Point) * Dying Explosion: The Sectopod will explode when it is destroyed, damaging nearby units and environment. Tactical Information * Sectopods are heavily armored mechanical units, making Bluescreen and A.P. Rounds invaluable when dealing with them. * Firing its Blaster only costs the Sectopod one action point which means it may fire up to two times per turn (three if it has not moved). This can lead to situations where the Sectopod is able to fire twice, then prepare the Wrath Cannon to end the turn. * Like the Andromedon and Gatekeeper, Sectopods walk directly through structural terrain, destroying it in the process. * The Sectopod AI will constantly use High Stance in order to gain a height advantage, boosting its Aim. It will not use Low Stance unless there is an opportunity to strike multiple targets with its Wrath Cannon. However, this can make it possible for a Sectopod that's hidden in Low Stance to become visible to the squad when it switches to High Stance, e.g. if there was a building, such as a guard tower, blocking sight before the switch. * If the Sectopod is Shut Down while it is charging its Wrath Cannon, the animation will glitch and will remain static until the Sectopod is destroyed. The Sectopod will not preform any other animations, such as walking, meaning that it will appear to teleport to locations it moves to. ** This also occurs if the Sectopod is Hacked and prepares the Wrath Cannon; it will not fire. ** The Sectopod Blaster and its animations appear to be unaffected by this. *Lightning Field does not affect targets that float or are on higher elevations, such as the Gatekeeper in Multiplayer. Trivia * Despite aesthetically being an ADVENT unit, it has an alien icon in the UI - which, ironically, is a Sectoid head emblem. * According to Tygan's autopsy, the Sectopod's name stems from the previous belief that the mech was operated by a sectoid. * In the Shen's Last Gift DLC, Julian takes control of a white Sectopod in a final attempt to kill the XCOM squad sent to retrieve the SPARK prototype. * This unit is the last ADVENT enemy presented in XCOM 2, excluding the Avatar. * In alien facility sabotage missions, it seems to do more damage to the facility than the X4, especially at the forge mission. Gallery XCOM2_Sectopod_ConceptSketches.jpg Xcom advent sectopod.PNG XCOM2_Sectopod_HighStance.jpg XCOM2_Sectopod_PoweringCannon.jpg Category:ADVENT Units Category:Enemies (XCOM 2)